2014 Jeep Patriot Latitude review notes

ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: I think we've all said plenty of mean things about the Jeep Patriot over the past few years. As a vehicle that shares a platform with the un-mourned Dodge Caliber (and other winners like the Dodge Avenger) yet can be ordered in “Trail Rated” spec, the beatdowns the Patriot, and its cousin the Compass, received aren't completely undeserved.

The harsh reality here -- one that Jeep bros and broettes probably don't want to hear -- is that the Patriot is (but for the mediocre fuel economy) ideally suited to the lifestyle that the average Jeep buyer lives. Which is to say a lifestyle lived exclusively on-road. Maybe some of the anti-Patriot vitriol comes from an unwillingness to face this truth.

That aside, there's not a lot to hate here besides the sub-par drivetrain. The Patriot is available with a five-speed manual, but, as with the tester Compasses that pass through our fleet from time to time, Jeep insists on sending us non-manual cars to test. It's slow enough with the noisy 2.4-liter I4. I can't imagine how it is to drive with the 2.0-liter.

The interior is actually pretty good -- rugged, but far better assembled these days than it was just a few short years ago. Soft-touch materials abound on the dash and doors, and -- what a concept! -- everything seems to be bolted together solidly. Exterior appearance is nothing to write home about, but it's not as mal-proportioned as the Compass.

Look, I have a sneaking suspicion that the only reason Patriots and Compasses are still in production is to make the new Cherokee look like a great deal. But clearly someone has run the numbers and determined that there is a financial upside to pushing these faux-SUVs onto the car-buying public -- and passing a few to merciless auto journalists along the way. I'd chastise Jeep for diluting the brand, but why bother? Luxury-seekers: look to the Grand Cherokee. Would-be off-roaders: be thankful that the Wrangler is as capable as it ever was.

Everyone else: There are better four-wheel and all-wheel drive options than the Patriot. Can't say if the Cherokee will be one of them, but trying it on for size before scooping up a Patriot wouldn't be a bad idea.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: Well, I still like the shape of the Jeep Patriot, and with the new Cherokee being rounded out like a Pokemon character, this is the only boxy SUV that Jeep makes. I loved the old classic Cherokee, and I wish the new one would have been more like that.

Onto this 2014 Jeep Patriot Latitude, though. The six-speed transmission is much better than the CVT, but it's still a small pain. It revs high at first, like a CVT, and quickly steps down three gears once you're on your way. Any sort of motivation requires a few downshifts on the anemic four-cylinder engine.

It gets loud in the cabin as well. On the expressway, there was quite a bit of tire noise, as well as the engine. On the surface streets, it was just the whiny engine.

Other than the noise, the cabin is a completely acceptable place to be, except that the radio wouldn't read my Apple iPhone 5. I'm assuming that's a software upgrade, which I hope Jeep is working on. The seats are comfortable and give a good view of the road. I know people like that sort of thing. The rear easily fit all of the tools I needed for a weekend swingset-building party.

I didn't do much -- make that any -- four wheeling, but I did have to sneak down a curb when traffic was blocking my route, I had no second thoughts, knowing that the tires and ride height were both up for the task.

In the small SUV/CUV segment, the Mazda CX-5 is still my champ, though I'd request a little more power. Like Graham said, stick to the Wrangler or the Grand Cherokee. They are far and away the best products Jeep has to offer.